Tuesday, June 30, 2015

I audibly shrieked when I came across the social media post last year - Misty Copeland was coming to Dallas to promote her book, "Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina." Who is Misty Copeland? She's a stunningly beautiful ballerina with the body of an athlete. Her Instagram page is full of insane, jaw-dropping powerful pics of athleticism in tutus and leotards. She's kind of a big deal. I bought my VIP ticket to the book signing then texted one of the guest coordinators on The Broadcast to see if she could get Misty in studio for a segment. Shortly thereafter, Misty was confirmed and I'd get to check an interview with this young lady off of my bucket list.

The day of the interview, Misty walked into the studio all by herself. There was no entourage. No handlers or PR people. Just Misty with her perfect ballerina bun and beautiful smile. I'd read her book in the days leading up to the interview so I felt like I already knew her. We chatted about growing up in California and our shared childhood aspirations of being professional cheerleaders. Then I got a little serious with her - I asked how she felt about discussing race and racism during our interview. Misty is very candid and unapologetic when discussing racism and how it's affected her career. She was game. Nothing was off limits. She kept it real and I love her even more for that.

The interview was awesome... we even had some adorable little ballerinas join us at the end of the second segment! CUTENESS ALERT! You can check out the interview here:

I knew big things were going to happen for this young lady. Sure enough, Misty was featured in an inspiring Under Armour ad campaign a couple of months after our interview and she BLEW UP! From appearances at Black Girls Rock and the MET Gala, she's become a style icon on red carpets from coast-to-coast. And she continues to do great work with the Boys & Girls Club and inspiring young ballerinas of color.

Well, Misty made history today when she was promoted and has now become the first African-American principal ballerina of New York's American Ballet Theatre. There will be a mother-daughter trip to NYC soon to catch her on stage. Bravo Misty!

Monday, June 29, 2015

I apologize for the unplanned hiatus - a nasty sinus infection triggered a migraine which triggered back spasms. I was laid up in bed for a good week trying to get better. All's well after a round of antibiotics and some rest... just what the doctor ordered!

And none too soon or I would've missed this fabulous lunch today with my Broadcast family. Our former executive producer Stuart is leaving to take a new job in Jacksonville so we got together for one last group lunch. I miss working with these folks everyday - it was an awesome ride!

Friday, June 12, 2015

I had the chance to take Bryn to see a musical production of Cinderella presented by Dallas Summer Musicals. I wrote a guest blog about our experience - you can check it out on my girlfriend Cynthia's Oh So Cynthia blog.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Every once in a while, I get homesick. I'd do anything to click my heels three times and end up on my mom's door step in Los Angeles. Today was one of those days. My nephew graduated from high school! Congrats Corey James!

Monday, June 1, 2015

We don't cook much... between Will's therapy in the afternoons and Bryn's activities, we usually end up eating out (one can only throw so many meals in the crockpot). For a while, pickings have been slim in the area, but lots of new restaurants are opening up in our neck of the woods. A new chain restaurant opened up in Plano recently and we decided to check it out.

So... Kona Grill. Seemed to have an upscale vibe from the outside but I noticed online it had a kids menu... SCORE! We actually managed to get a reservation on a Friday night too... not because it wasn't crowded, but because the place was huge! Parking was a little tough too - the restaurant sits next to an Eatzi's and a new apartment complex. While we found refuge on the restaurant side of the place, the bar and patio were packed with grown folks enjoying the nice weather (we had a quick break from the rain) and happy hour specials.

To say this place is kid-friendly is an understatement. From Etch-A-Sketches for each kid and bento boxes complete with orange creatures, Bryn proclaimed it was her favorite restaurant ever! I enjoyed a strawberry basil lemonade (adult) before I munched down on sushi (soft shell crab) and lobster mac-n-cheese. Overall, it was really good. Our sweet server seemed nervous though - he introduced himself four times. And another waiter spilled a glass of water on his table. Eek! Growing pains for sure...